Section: MAIN
Page: A3

Monday, February 10, 1997

AT LEAST TULA VOTERS TAKE THE RACE SERIOUSLY

Albany's sister city casts ballots for Lebed's successor in a circuslike election

Associated Press

TULA, Russia -- The hoopla that turned this provincial city into a political circus disappeared Sunday, when voters had the final say in a parliamentary race that was as hotly contested as it was wacky.

Candidates who bombarded Tula with free vodka, chocolate and high-powered appeals were nowhere to be seen when Tula voters cast ballots to replace favorite son Alexander Lebed in the State Duma.

Preliminary results were not expected until today.

Tula became Albany's sister city in 1991 for the exchange of ideas and cultural traditions.

Many residents didn't share the enthusiasm candidates poured into the race or endorse their questionable campaign methods. But turnout on a gray, windy day topped 60 percent, the ITAR-Tass news agency reported -- fairly high for a by-election, even if it did include thousands of Tula-based paratroopers who were trucked or marched to the polls.

``I don't think that anybody from this bunch (of candidates) can revive this country,'' said Boris Novikov, 40, who sells toilet paper in a market in this central Russian city of 500,000 people.

President Boris N. Yeltsin's former top bodyguard, Alexander Korzhakov, was a clear leader in pre-election polls. Others in the 10-candidate field included world chess champion Anatoly Karpov and a local man jailed on extortion charges.

Crossed off the ballot on election eve was a well-heeled former fashion model accused of plying voters with cash.

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